| LITTLE BLUE BOOK NO. Edited by E. Haldeman-Julius | 1169 |
| Page | |
| Chris Farrington: Able Seaman | 5 |
| Typhoon Off the Coast of Japan | 17 |
| The Lost Poacher | 25 |
| The Banks of the Sacramento | 40 |
| In Yeddo Bay | 54 |
"If you vas in der old country ships, a liddle shaver like you vood peonly der boy, und you vood wait on der able seamen. Und ven der ableseaman sing out, 'Boy, der water-jug!' you vood jump quick, like a shot,und bring der water-jug. Und ven der able seaman sing out, 'Boy, myboots!' you vood get der boots. Und you vood pe politeful, und say'Yessir' und 'No sir.' But you pe in der American ship, and you t'inkyou are so good as der able seamen. Chris, mine boy, I haf ben asailorman for twenty-two years, und do you t'ink you are so good as me?I vas a sailorman pefore you vas borned, und I knot und reef und spliceven you play mit topstrings und fly kites."
"But you are unfair, Emil!" cried Chris Farrington, his sensitive faceflushed and hurt. He was a slender though strongly built young fellow ofseventeen, with Yankee ancestry writ large all over him.
"Dere you go vonce again!" the Swedish sailor exploded. "My name isMister Johansen, und a kid of a boy like you call me 'Emil!' It vasinsulting, und comes pecause of der American ship!"
"But you call me 'Chris'!" the boy expostulated, reproachfully.
"But you vas a boy."[6]
"Who does a man's work," Chris retorted. "And because I do a man's workI have as much right to call you by your first name as you me. We areall equals in this fo'castle, and you know it. When we signed for thevoyage in San Francisco, we signed as sailors on the Sophie Sutherlandand there was no difference made with any of us. Haven't I always donemy work? Did I ever shirk? Did you or any other man ever have to take awheel for me? Or a lookout? Or go aloft?"
"Chris is right," interrupted a young English sailor. "No man has had todo a tap of his work yet. He signed as g